Dark Chocolate and Ginger Loaf

I've had half a jar of stem ginger lurking in my fridge for a while now and got fed up looking at it and occasionally thinking about using it up.  I was determined to bake something delicious using it yesterday and I did!  

I fancied a treat for afternoon tea that we could also have as pudding, after pondering what to make over a cuppa I decided on a rich Dark Chocolate and Ginger Loaf.  I am very glad I did as it was delicious, and it tasted even better the next day.

Dark Chocolate and Ginger Loaf

50g light soft brown sugar

1Ttblsp black treacle

60g honey

30ml syrup from stem ginger jar

85g unsalted butter, diced

100ml milk

100g stem ginger, finely chopped

1 large free-range egg, beaten

195g plain flour

30g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Preheat your oven to 180C/350C Fan/Gas Mark 4.  Line a 450g loaf tin with a liner or non-stick baking paper.

Put the sugar, black treacle, honey, syrup, butter and milk into a saucepan.  Melt over a low heat.

Remove the pan from the heat, leave to cool whilst you prepare the dry ingredients, then add the beaten egg.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.  Add the chocolate chunks and chopped stem ginger to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until completely combined.  Spoon the mixture into a 450g loaf tin and level the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 - 55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  I pricked my loaf all over with a skewer and poured a couple of tablespoonfuls of the stem ginger syrup over the top so that it would soak into the loaf, keep it moist and enhance the ginger flavour.  Set the tin on a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely before turning out.

Serve thickly sliced for afternoon tea or for pudding with vanilla custard or a dollop of whipped cream.  The flavour of the loaf develops more if left overnight.  This loaf is best eaten within 3 days.  Store the loaf in an airtight container.

I am submitting this Dark Chocolate and Ginger Loaf to We Should Cocoa, the blog challenge devised by Chocolate Teapot and Chocolate Log Blog which is being hosted this month by Blue Kitchen Bakes .  The ingredient this month is is ginger.

I am also submitting this recipe to Tea Time Treats, hosted alternately by Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Kate from What Kate Baked.  Kate is hosting this month and the theme is puddings.